Vent for well-pumps.



W. H. BUTCHER.

VENT FOR WELL PUMPS. APPLICATION FILED MAR-20,1915.

l ,1 90,102. Patented July 4, 1916.

I I a i E3 vwciutoz and State of Nebraska,

WILFRED H. BUTCHER, OF BURWELL, NEBRASKA.

VENT FOR WELL-PUMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application mea marc h 20, 1915. Serial No. 15,931.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILFRED H. Bmrcrrnn, acitizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Burwell, in the county of Garfield have invented newand useful Improvements in Vents for Well- Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vents for well pumps;

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to provide a vent valve for well pumps whereby the pump casing will be relieved of the water contained therein succeeding the pumping operation so as to prevent freezing of thewater in the pump casing and the resultant damage to the pump structure.

It is also my purpose toprovide a vent valve of the class described which will operate efiiciently and effectively for its intended purpose and which will open automatically when the pump plunger is stopped so as to relieve the casing of the water trapped therein and which will be automatically closed when the pump is brought into action so that the water may be'drawn from the well to the surface of the ground through the pump casing.

IVith the above and other objects in view,

the invention consists in the construction,

combination. and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the scope of the claim.

In the accompanying drawing, the figure is a vertical sectional view through a well pump equipped with a vent valve constructed in accordance with the present invention.

'Referring now to the drawing in detail, 1 designates a pump barrel or casing sunk into the ground and having the lower end thereof disposed withinthe well and the upper end arranged above the surface of the ground. 2 indicates the plunger rod mounted within the barrel or casing 1 and capable of rectilinear movement to operate the pluner to force the water from the well upwardly through the pump barrel.

In accordance with my present invention,

a by-pass casting 3 is secured to the barrel or casing 1 adjacent to the lower extremity thereof and the pump barrel 1 adjacent to the lower extremity of the by-pass casting is closed by means of a plug 4 so that the water i drawn from the well in the operation of the pump'will be diverted into the by-pass and so caused to travel through and then into the barrel 1 above the plug 4, the water being delivered at the surface by the upper end of the pump casing. Formed in the lower hprizontal limb of the by-pass casting .3 is a vent opening 5 and disposed within such opening and normally closing the latter is a vent valve 6. Upstanding from the lower surface of the horizontal portion of the by-pass casting is a bearing bracket 7 and pivoted between its ends in the bracket 7 is a lever 8. One end of the lever 8 is pivotally connected to the vent valve 6 while secured to the remaining end of such lever and uprislng therefrom and disposed within Patented July 1, 1916,

the vertical portion of the by-pass is a stem 9 while slidably mounted. within the vertical portion of the by-pass is an actuating element 10 normally resting upon the stem 9 and holdingthe valve 6 in open position and movable upwardly within the vertical portion. of the by-pass as the water is pumped through the latter to release the lever 8 and so permit the valve 6 to gravitate to closed position. p

In practice, while the pump is out of service, the element vertical portion of the by-pass and in engagement with the stem 9 and holds the vent valve 6 out. of the vent opening 5, while when the pump is placed in operation .and the water forced through the bypass the actuating element 10 is moved upwardly within the by-pass under the action of the flowingwater, thereby releasing the valve 6 and permitting the latter to gravitate to closed position so as to prevent the escape of water from the casing while the pump is in ,use. lVhen the pump is stopped, the elescribed and delineated, as. modification and variation may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

A pump casing, a.by-pass in said casing adjacent to the lower end thereof having the 10 is at the lower end of the lower portion formed with a vent opening, 1

10 said stem to hold said valve in open position and movable by the water flowing through the by-pass to disengage said stem whereby said valve may gravitate to closed position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 15 in presence of two witnesses.

VILFRED H. BUTCHER. Witnesses F. SIBAL, F. L. DAVIS. 

